Hear some of the ridiculous 999 calls to Merseyside Police
Radio City News can reveal Merseyside Police get around two thousand 999 calls every day - that aren't genuine emergencies.
Radio City News can reveal Merseyside Police get around two thousand 999 calls every day - that aren't genuine emergencies.
The force have released the stats this morning...
A woman with a rat in her kitchen and a man who'd left his jacket in a bar are just two of the calls they've had this year
It means around 80 percent of 999 calls, are not urgent - and often not even a police matter.
Chief Superintendent Ngaire Waine, head of the force Contact, Crime and Resolution department, explained: “On average we receive 2500 calls a day to Merseyside Police and between 1800 and 2000 of those calls are non-urgent and don’t require immediate police attendance.
“Currently we despatch patrols to those non-urgent calls when an officer is available, but this is not always convenient for the caller.
“This week we have introduced a new appointment system for non-urgent callers who require a visit from an officer. Instead of waiting for the first available patrol, we will work with the caller to arrange a time that is convenient to them, either at their home address, or their local police station.
“We are committed to ensuring that our communities are at the heart of everything we do and we are consistently looking at how we can change the way we work to ensure that we provide an efficient and effective service.
“We hope that the introduction of the new appointment system will make the caller’s experience of police contact more convenient and less stressful, by providing a time and location that is convenient to them and fits in with their work and family schedule.
Chief Supt Waine, added: “Whilst we can do everything possible to try and make our systems more effective, I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to members of the public to help us make sure that when they call the police it is because they need us.
“There are still a lot of people out there who call the police in relation to incidents which do not require a police service."
"We receive calls about all sorts of issues from rat infestations to cats up trees and blocked drains, because people aren’t sure who they should contact."
"These types of calls can put extra pressure on our call handlers and could slow down their ability to respond to a caller who is in urgent need of a police response."
You can hear some of the examples below